do you? why not add your miracles too?

Monthly Archives: September 2014

After dinner, Jesus got up, took off his Sunday clothes and tied an apron around his waist. He poured some water into a bucket and went around, one by one, washing the grime (dust, goat goo, etc.) off of the feet of his closest followers.

When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, should you really be doing this?”

Jesus answered, “I know you don’t get this right now, but it will make sense later on.”

Peter replied, “There’s no way you’re washing my feet!”

Jesus said, “Peter, if I don’t wash your feet, we’re finished. We have no future together.”

Peter replied, “In that case, wash my hands and face too!”

Jesus said, “Peter, did you take a bath today? Then all we need to do is get the grime off your feet. Besides my followers are always clean. Well, not all of you…” (He was referring to the one who was going to betray him.)

After he finished, he sat down and asked, “Any idea what just happened here? You call me ‘boss,’ ‘teacher,’ ‘master,’ yadda yadda, and that is exactly what I am to you. So if your master will perform for you the most menial hygienic service which we allow another person to do for us, is there any reason why you shouldn’t do this kind of thing for each other? I did this to set precedence for you to do likewise. Are any of your better than I am, that you can’t do this kind of thing? Is there such a thing as a disciple who is greater than his teacher? Of course not. You know that, so just do it—any and every kind of service that any brother needs. Serving each other in even the most humbling ways will give you a deep sense of contentment.

Jesus became a household name all over Syria. People sought him out with their suffering friends and family in tow. Jesus healed all kinds of diseases, chronic pains, seizures, paralysis, as well as exorcised demons. He had crowds following him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the other side of the Jordan River.

There was one guy with leprosy that came to Jesus and threw himself on his knees in front of him and said, “I know you can heal me if you want to.”

Deeply moved, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man, saying, “Of course, I’m willing! Be fully restored!” Immediately, all signed of leprosy were gone and the man was healed. Jesus sent him on his way quickly with a strong caution: “Don’t tell anybody else about this. Just go see the priest and complete the ritual that’s required to make you ceremonially clean, so that they will see it.”

The man promptly ignored Jesus’ warning and told anyone who would stop long enough to hear the story. Consequently, the crowds became unmanageable and Jesus couldn’t enter towns. He set up in really remote places and still there were mobs of people coming out to see him.

If you would accept wise teaching and follow wise instruction eagerly and voluntarily, tuning into anything wise you might hear, and sincerely mulling it over in your mind and spirit; if you would get as excited about new insights as you do when your team scores a goal, and be as desperate to understand as you are to get signal on your phone; if you would seek out wisdom as if you’re looking for a free WiFi hot spot, and really dig for it like you do for your size on the 75% off rack, then, then you would understand what it means to respect and fear God; then you would finally acquire some knowledge about our God. Thing is, you gotta really want it.

God doesn’t charge a premium for His wisdom—getting to know Him and understanding spiritual things is absolutely free. But that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. It’s hidden and you have to put some effort into finding it. He’s tucked it away, sealed it up tight, reserved in particular for people who have a healthy parent/child relationship with Him. He protects people of integrity and strong ethics. He safeguards them because they are the guardians and keepers of right and moral living, justice and right dealing, and they teach others how to live this way, in perpetuity. Their students and disciples will internalize God’s wisdom and learn to value, respect and even love the things they are taught. Their direction is like a guardian angel and their understanding is like a short leash, keeping you from running wild like evil people do, and protecting you from becoming collateral damage of people bent on deception and perversion—men who reject morality and rational teaching to live a messed up life. That kind of person actually enjoys hurting himself and others. He doesn’t deal fairly with people; he is a compulsive liar and just plain immoral.

The discretion and understand you have acquired through discipleship will keep you from falling prey to smooth-talking seducers—these people are completely foreign to God’s kingdom. Not only have they rejected any good teaching they might have received, but they also deliberately become promiscuous—sexually, morally, spiritually—and they are hell-bent on dragging other people into the same promiscuity. Anyone who goes that way is out of the Kingdom—and once out, there’s no getting back in.

This is why I want you to keep a healthy parent/child relationship with God. Do what He asks and what He has made clear through good teaching in His word and via godly mentors in your life. The kind of people who will live in His Kingdom are those who do the right thing voluntarily—even when no one is watching—and those in whom Christ-like character has been developed to their personal max. Mean, evil people will have no access to God’s Kingdom. He will have pulled up the troublemakers by the roots and tossed them into the burn pile.